watching the history ch. and Im just amazed at the ability of our USMC snipers. total Bad ASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hoooah!!!
My buddy went through sniper training in Quantico, passed, got his sharpshooter metals and all, and then decided to go back to infantry, He likes kicking down doors better... go figure?
I got to watch Gunnery Sgt Hathcock shoot at WTBN in Quantico back in the 70's, Quite a treat for a young Marine
Lol. I hope he didn't just get the "Sharpshooter" medal. Lol. I would think that the Snipers would have to qualify with something a little better... Being the best of the best and all...? For the record... "For a marksmanship badge to be obtained, a service member must obtain a passing score and will receive a qualification level depending on the score obtained. As of October 1, 2007, the Marine Corps has implemented a scored, Field Fire (aka Table 2, from 25–100 m/82–330 ft) portion to the established Known Distance (aka Table 1, or 'KD' from 200–500 m/660–1,600 ft) course of fire. This is the tactical counterpart to the competition style shooting of Table 1. The Table 2 fire is based on a 100 point scale and is additional to the legacy 250 point scale for Table 1. Scores for marksman range from 250-279, 280-304 for sharpshooter, and 305-350 for expert. If a Marine fails to qualify on the Field Fire portion, the individuals score will be dropped to 250 regardless of their actual score on the Known Distance course. Qualifying on the Known Distance course is a prerequisite to continue to Field Fire." Scout sniper qual. KD (Known Distance) range includes shooting at the 300, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, and 1000 yard lines. 5 rounds are fired at each yard line. During this phase of training, Marines must become experts at the fundamentals of marksmanship. They must also become experts at calling wind and weather. During this portion two students work together, one on the gun and the other behind the spotting scope calling wind. If a student is not proficient at calling wind, they will cause their partner to fail, not themselves. After the first student fires his rounds, the two switch positions. After each yard line, the students must quickly throw on their packs and grab all their equipment and run to the next yardline. EVERYTHING at sniper school is a race, and it pays to be a winner. The course of fire for qualification is as follows: 300, 500, & 600 - 3 Stationary and 2 Movers 700 - 3 Stationary and 2 Stop and Go Movers 800 - 3 Stationary and 2 Bobbers 900 & 1000 - 5 Stationary Out of 35 Rounds, 28 rounds must be in the black to qualify on the range. My buddy teaches at Quantico. I think he teaches on the pistol range.
I remember my dad telling me a story from Vietnam. He was a 1st Lieutenant in Nam and had a sniper in his platoon. The guy had his dang trigger finger hit with either shrapnel or a stray bullet during gun fire, and the accident severely injured his finger. He said the guy bandaged up his trigger finger and continued to fight by shooting with his middle finger. RESPECT. Oh yeah, another sniper story. He also said the sniper was a nut. Within the first couple of weeks my dad was in Nam, the guy told my dad he wanted to do some "recon" and show my dad a little trick. So my dad obliged and headed out to scout. Well they get onto this little NVA trail and the sniper asks my dad if they can just hide out and wait to see if they see anything coming down the trail. Well the guy pulls out an old radio and begins to play some Vietnamese music. He tells my dad the NVA soldiers might here the music and think that some other soldiers have a camp out in the jungle just off the trail. He said they waited for hours until they caught movement. As the NVA approaced, the sniper balanced his gun on my dad's shoulders and waited until two NVA soliders gave him a good shot and he basically blew both their dang heads off. Goodness!
buddy just sent this to me. i love to shoot, and i love to watch others who are pros at it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRYwMrsaLxs
My youngest brother spent 8 years in the USMC as a sniper. He loved it. It is amazing how he has learned to bled in. He once took a burlap bag and made a gillie suit that was truly amazing. Not only did he learn a lot, but he got to see the world, through a scope with a finger near the trigger. He does have some funny stories too.
One of my best friends from high school is a USMC sniper. Inactive now. Did two tours in Iraq. During his last tour the US was losing so many snipers that he had a convoy of seven other soldiers as security, plus his scout. Now he was in charge of hiding 9 people instead of 2. Needless to say... he is not the same person as went in. Some of his platoon were the one's that were making the DVD's of all the kill shots. He said it made him sick and he didn't reinlist. He has several notches on his rifle stock!
I have NO Idea what he has, I just know he was 1of 5 to graduate his "class" And I remember seeing his medal, I have know Idea what "qualifications" he obtained, All I know is he's a heck of a shot with a deer rifle back home... I remember him telling about the scout sniper training he had to fire a round at a target and had to lay there without moving, if he was spotted, he went home.(or something like that). And he could make a gillie suit out of a hammock. That's all I remember him telling me about it, that was atleast a year ago or so.
